bring him aboard. I saw the sergeant had a pair of darbies, and what do you suppose that Carteret's come ashore with a regular escort for?"

A ten minutes' walk and Lieutenant Carteret and his men, guided by a number of natives, reached the white man's thatched dwelling, which stood amid a grove of banana and bread-fruit trees. When within a few yards, the lieutenant saw a tall, graceful young native girl, clad in semi-European style, advance to the open door, and then with a terrified exclamation withdraw again.

"That is Tui,{*} Joajai's wife," said one of the natives, pointing to the girl, who now again appeared, and, with her full dark eyes dilated with alarm, timidly held out her hand to the officer and murmured something in the native tongue.

"She speaks English, but she is afraid of the men with the guns," explained the native guide.

"Where is your husband?" said Lieutenant Carteret, motioning to the girl to seat herself, and the marines to stand back.

She only shook her head, and turned inquiringly to the natives who accompanied the officer.

"The white man is away on the other side of the island, sir. He be here in 'bout one half-hour," said the English-speaking native. "Suppose you like, sir, I send some one go tell him come quick?"

Carteret hesitated a moment, then answered "No." Then turning to the sergeant of marines, he said, "Let your men fall still further back, sergeant This is a delicate matter, and I don't want this confounded crowd of natives, many of whom understand English, to hear what I have to say to this woman. Send a man down to the boat, and tell the coxswain that I shall have to wait for some time. If the ship makes a signal, the boat can go off and tell the captain that I shall have to wait; then she can come back for me."

All this time the trader's young wife sat trembling upon a rude couch that stretched across one side of the room; and her eyes never left the officer's face for an instant, save when for a moment she gave a terrified glance at the rifles and bayonets of the marine escort.

The moment that the marines had fallen back the lieutenant stepped forward and took the young woman by the hand.

"Tui," he said hurriedly, drawing her to the further end of the room with firm but gentle hand, and speaking so low and without motion of his lips that none but she knew that he spoke at all, "for God's sake and for mine and your husband's, do not be frightened, but listen to me and do exactly as I tell you."

Still trembling like a startled fawn, the girl raised her lustrous eyes to the young officer's face. His earnest, sincere manner and expression of deep concern seemed to reassure her, and though her bosom heaved and her breath came in quick, short gasps, she turned her face to him in the confidence of dawning hope.

"Who are you, sir, and what do you wan' my husban' for?"

"Tell these natives to go," said the lieutenant "Have no fear. I am your husband's friend; but, be quick!"

Still, with a wondering look upon her beautiful face, the girl advanced to the door, said something in the island tongue to the crowd of curious natives, and then gently closed the door.

"This is a rum go!" said the sergeant of marines to himself, as he saw the door shut to. "What the devil has the girl been doing? Are the bracelets for her, I wonder?"

"Tui," said Lieutenant Carteret, the moment they were alone, "time presses. You speak English so well as to thoroughly understand that which I am now about to tell you?"

"Yes, sir," she answered, standing before him with clasped hands, "I think so. A white woman who is dead now taught me to read and write English, and my husban' always talk English to me."

"Good. Then listen to me, my girl. I am Lieutenant Carteret, of H.M.S. Spitfire—that ship out there—sent here with the ship's police to arrest a deserter from the Flycatcher on